Vapor-burning apparatus



Patented lune 6, I899.

A. KITSUN.

VAPOR BURNING APPARATUS.

(Application filed May 24, 1898.)

(No Model.)

3 I I l UNITED STATES PATENT *FFICE.

ARTHUR KITSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KITSON I-IYDROCARBON HEATING AND INCANDESCENT LIGHTING COM- PANY, OF SAME PLACE AND CHARLESTON, VEST VIRGINIA.

VAPOR-BURNING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,282, dated June 6, 1899. Application filed May 24, 1898. Serial No. 681,594. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR KITSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Burning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vapor-burning apparatus, and is specially designed to produce a simple and effective apparatus for producing the initial heating necessary to start said apparatus into action. In all forms of such apparatus that I have heretofore designed-- such, for instance, as that illustrated in my United States Patent No. 600,792.,dated March 15, 1S98the action is self-sustaining after once put in operation by reason of the fact that the heat given off by the burner is employed in part to heat the vaporizing-tube, and thus transform fluid hydrocarbon into vapor; but in order to produce the initial heating of said tube some extraneous source of heat is necessary. To accomplish this in a safe and convenient manner, I propose to employ an auxiliary electrical heater.

The apparatus herein illustrated and described is a modification of that shown in my pending application filed November 22, 1897, Serial No. 659,425. The employment of the entire vaporizing-tube as the heating-conductor, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings of that application, requires a large amount of current. To avoid that difficulty in the present form of my invention, I include only a portion of the vaporizing apparatus in the electrical circuit. That portion can be made of high resistance in the shape of a fine platinum wire or carbon or other high-resistance filament, so that a much less amount of current is required to heat it to incandescence. This high-resistance conductor is located inside the vaporizing-tube, where it comes in direct contact with the oil.

The preferred form of myapparatus is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial section of a lamp to which my electric heater has been applied. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing in longitudinal section the vaporizing apparatus,with a portion thereof forming a part of the electrical circuit through which the heating current is sent.

Throughout the d rawings like reference-figures refer to like parts.

1 represents the vapor-burner generally, which is preferably arranged to heat an incandescent mantle of refractory material, such as the well-known \Velsbach mantle.

2 is a glass globe surrounding the burner and supporting the lamp hood and chimney 3. In the hood is mounted a vaporizingtube 4 within the heating zone of the burner and preferably immediately over the same.

5 is a mixing-tube into which the vaporizingtube discharges a jet of vapor through the opening 18 and which conducts such vapor and the necessary quantity of air entrained by said jet down to the burner 1.

The foregoing is substantially in accordance with the apparatus and mode of operation described in my before-mentioned patent, No. 600,792; but instead, of securing the initial heating of the vaporizing apparatus by an alcohol flame I prefer to have a portion of the said vaporizing apparatus, as the platinum wire or other high-resistance filament 6, form a part of the electrical circuit completed by the wires 8 and 9, which lead from opposite poles of a battery 10 or other source of electric-current supply. This Wire 6 is insulated at one end from the vaporizing-tube by means of the insulation 7. This preferably consists of a portion of glass or other fusible material fused onto the end of the wire 8 and to the end of the wire 6, or the wire 8 may pass entirely through the insulatorizing-tube to 'hold it against any tendency to rotate, and 11 is the ordinary supply-tube for oil controlled by the valve 12.

19 is the bowl or other supporting-base for the lamp, and 20 is a switch for opening and closing the electrical circuit from the battery to the electric heating apparatus.

The method of operating my invention is as follows: When it is desired to start the lamp, the current is turned on at the switch 20 and the high-resistance conductor 6 becomes heated to a high degree. By reason of the insulation 7 the entire current is compelled to pass through this fine wire or filament 6. Oil is then admitted by opening the valve 12, and upon entering the heated interior of the tube 4 and coming in direct contact with 'the incandescent filament therein it becomes vaporized, and a jet of vapor discharges through the opening 18, entrains a suitable quantity of air with it, and forces the mixture down the mixing-tube 5 to the burner 1, where it is ignited by a match or otherwise. A1 ter a short time the heat of the burner becomes sufficient to maintain the vaporizing-tube 4 and its included wire 6 at the necessary temperature to continue the vaporizing of the oil, the current is shut 01f,

and the action of the lamp becomes self-supporting.

The advantages of, this form of apparatus are that the inconvenience resulting from the ordinary use of the alcohol-cup and any danger which might develop from the unskili 'ul and thus assist in the vaporization of the oil, even after the electrical current is shut off.

Of coursethis electrical heating attachment may be used with other forms of vapor-burner.

1. In a vaporizing-lamp the combination of a vaporizing apparatus of metal, an electric circuit, a portion of the electriccircuit forming a portion of the vaporizing apparatus of the lamp, said' portion of the vaporizing apparatus so included in the circuit being sufficiently insulated from the rest of the lamp to compel the entire current to pass through the electrical conductor which forms said portion of the vaporizing apparatus, substantially as described. I

2. The combination with a metal oil-vapo rizing tube of an electrical heating-conductor extending lengthwise of the interior thereof and insulated at one end from said tube, said insulation consisting of a mass of insulating material fused about the conductor, and a stufling-box on the end of the tube, through which stuffing-box the fused material extends, substantially as described.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this 20th day of May, 1898. ARTHUR KITSON.

Witnesses:

LILIAN FOSTER, W. H. PUMPHREY. 

